Suggestions For a Coax-To-Ethernet Solution?

watanabe writes "I just moved from a house with Cat5e wiring to a house with ... a whole bunch of coax cables. Like, my living room has five coax cables coming out of a hole in the wall. All of them go back up to my attic. The house is big, (and I like it, thank you), but I have realized that our digital usage pattern (media server + squeezeboxes + remote time machine backups to a linux box) will not work without wiring. I am currently bridging some old Linksys WRT54Gs to the right places, but of course, that slows everything down. This got me thinking: 100mb ethernet is four wires, yes? And I have four wires for every two coax cables. What about a two coax-head -> ethernet jack setup? Has anyone done this before? Searching online only gives me $100+ coaxethernet transceiver type boxes. At that price, a HomePNY system would make more sense. I'm willing to solder if I have to, but I first wanted to get advice and holes shot in my plan, if there are any."

Comments

Re:Use the Coax as a wirepull for the cat5

[0racle]

Actually, I have found that Cat5 provides just as many options as cat5.

I admit though, my testing may not have been exhaustive.

Re:ATT Uverse runs over coax

[Anonymusing]

sorry, I realize my post contributed nothing.

This may be the most profound comment I've ever read on Slashdot.

Rewiring is your best option.

[getclear]

First, any ethernet media converters you with coaxial as the medium, are going to be 10BASE-T 10Mbit connections. You will no longer be able to utilize 100Mbit across ethernet. Second, attempting to solder the wires from a twisted pair cable, and pinning it out over 4 shielded coaxial cables, is going to result in an extreme signal degredation and is completely out of the picture as a viable option. The posters above me stated that using one of the original coaxial cable as a base for pulling a snagless Cat5e/6 cable, and that is the direction that you need to take. If that is not an option, perhaps do some research and invest in a wireless setup that will suit your living area.

In summary, please, don't solder an RJ-45 connecter and the 2 relevant pairs to 4 coaxial cables. Please?

If you do, please, send pictures.

Re:Use the Coax as a wirepull for the cat5

[vivin]

Cat5 provides many more options than cat5.

That's so zen.

Re:Maybe I'm missing something

[pcolaman]

Or, perhaps, as another thought, why not just use the existing coax to pull Cat5 into place?

Re:Use the Coax as a wirepull for the cat5

[StikyPad]

Cat5 can do better if you coax it.

Re:Use the Coax as a wirepull for the cat5

[Hognoxious]

You do realize ethernet originally ran over coax, right? Google '10BASE2'

Yup, and guns used to load the bullet from the same end it shoots out of.

Re:Use the Coax as a wirepull for the cat5

[mini me]

And cars use to run on electricity... oh wait.

Re:Use the Coax as a wirepull for the cat5

[BobMcD]

"Actually, I have found that Cat5 provides just as many options as cat5"

I find it top be more a case of 6 of one, half dozen of the other.

Just be sure and let us know when you get to the bottom of that dilemma.

Re:Use the Coax as a wirepull for the cat5

[JamesP]

I'm gessing you can get a Monster Cat5 cable for an absurd amount of money, that's got gold plated connectors and electrolytes and stuff...

Re:ATT Uverse runs over coax

[Anonymusing]

And with that, we complete our tour of Slashdot.

CATV is cat5 in Roman

[mangu]

To use CATV cable for cat5 all you need to do is you run X-Base-II with L ohms terminators. Or would those be LXXV ohms?

Re:Use the Coax as a wirepull for the cat5

[Nerdfest]

that's got gold plated connectors and electrolytes and stuff...

It's what networks crave!

Cat5

[lotho brandybuck]

We have cat5 and they're worthless. They pee on my stuff, don't guard the house and require expensive stinky canned food.